“Because that’s what I bring to the table,” Teddy explained. “Have you considered that I have the same fears? But for me, I worry about you deciding it’s too hard being with someone so much older than you. Or that you can’t risk the gossip around town hurting the bakery.”
“No chance of that happening,” I smiled. We were two of a kind—misfits with our own set of worries and issues. But in each other, we might be able to find solace.
As we cleared the table and washed the dishes together, I felt a renewed sense of confidence in our relationship. Teddy’s understanding and support reminded me that we were stronger together, but also that it was important for us to grow individually.
By Fourth of July weekend, we had fully transformed the backyard from an overgrown disaster to my favorite place to relax as soon as I got home from the bakery. And with the new bedroom suite I’d picked up shortly after Teddy got so busy, we spent most of our time at my house. It warmed something inside of me every time I heard Teddy refer to it as home.
“Teddy,” I began, my voice trembling slightly. He was grilling—how else would a carnivore like him cook in the summer?—as I scrolled Pinterest for kitchen remodel ideas. Once Teddy pointed out how poorly set up the area was, redoing the space became the next project I hoped we could tackle together. “I have something I want to tell you.”
He turned to look at me, his eyes full of curiosity and concern. “What’s up?”
Taking a deep breath, I summoned all the courage I could muster. “I love you, Teddy. I’ve been afraid to say it, but I can’t hold it back any longer. You mean so much to me, and I want you to know that.”
The words hung in the air between us, a vulnerable truth that could change everything. For a moment, Teddy stared at me, his expression unreadable. But then, slowly, a smile began to spread across his face, and his eyes filled with warmth.
“I love you too, Shiloh,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. He set down his tongs and crouched in front of me. “I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while now, but I was scared it might be too soon.”
We locked eyes, and in that moment, I felt an unbreakable connection between us. It was as if the invisible thread that had been drawing us together since we’d met had finally woven itself into a strong, vibrant tapestry.
With Teddy by my side, I was ready to face whatever the future had in store. And with each step we took together, I knew we were building something beautiful, something that would stand the test of time.
15
TEDDY
The sun beatdown on the back of my neck as I knelt in Shiloh’s backyard, my fingers deep in the rich soil. Our weekends were now spent doing on the completely mundane. At the rate Shiloh was going, the backyard would be ready for a magazine spread by the end of summer. Checking tasks off the honey-do list felt completely natural in a way things never had when I’d been with Patrick.
Today we were working on planting in the raised beds we’d built last weekend. I worried it was too late in the year to sow anything but Shiloh rattled off the facts and dates for everything he planned on growing.
“Teddy, can you hand me that trowel?” Shiloh asked, his eyes glinting with determination. He was taking this whole gardening thing seriously, which was both endearing and slightly perplexing to me.
“Sure,” I replied, handing it over. “You know, this isn’t exactly the most relaxing hobby. You’re supposed to be de-stressing right now.”
Shiloh grinned at me, wiping the sweat from his brow with his forearm. “I know, but I want to learn how to do this. Plus, think about how great it’ll be for the bakery when we can use our own fresh ingredients. People love that locally grown stuff.”
I couldn’t argue with that logic, and I admired Shiloh’s unwavering focus on making his bakery a success.
“All right, so what’s next?” I asked, trying to shake off the lingering feeling of inadequacy.
“Tomatoes,” Shiloh replied, pointing to flat of small plants ready to go into the ground. He’d started the plants as seeds in the garage and babied them until the ground was warm enough. It was adorable listening to him ramble on about how you needed to prepare plants to go into the ground. I was quickly learning that gardening was far more complex than I’d realized. “I’ll dig the holes and you can put a seedling in each one. Then, we’ll fill the holes and give them some water.
“Sounds good.” I reached for one of the seedlings, carefully digging a hole for it in the soil. As I worked, I couldn’t help but keep stealing glances at Shiloh. His brow furrowed in concentration, he was completely absorbed in the task at hand.
“Hey,” Shiloh said suddenly, looking up from his work. “You all right? You seem a bit... I don’t know, off.”
“Me?” I forced a laugh, trying to brush it off. “Nah, I’m fine. Just not used to all this gardening stuff, that’s all.”
“Okay,” he said, clearly not entirely convinced. But he didn’t press me further, instead returning his attention to the tomatoes.
I turned back to my own work, trying to focus on the simple act of planting and nurturing these tiny plants that were like Shiloh’s children. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe I was getting ahead of myself mentally planning how to expand his space next year.
“Teddy,” Shiloh called, breaking me out of my thoughts once more. “Can you pass me the watering can?”
“Sure,” I replied, handing it over, silently vowing to work through my insecurities and give this relationship everything I had, for both our sakes.
I wiped the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand, feeling a sense of accomplishment at how much we’d managed in just one afternoon. Rows of vegetables and herbs took shape before us, their delicate leaves reaching for the sky.
“Thanks again for helping me with this,” Shiloh said, his eyes crinkling warmly at the corners. “It means a lot.”
